San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-02-10
NO. s.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Frcm Our Regular Corespondent.)
WASHINGTON. Jan. 81, 1887.

past week, some of which were i'm
portant, while others were not so.
Among them were the fisheries trou-
bic with Canada, woman suffrage,
pensions, the bill establishing Agri-
cultural Experiment Stations, the bill
preventing members of Congress
from acting as attorneys for corpora
tions with which Congress has i'm
portant dealings, the Pleuro- -Pneu-
monia bill, the river and harbor bill,
and several of the other regular ap-
preparation bills.
The Woman Suffrage Association,
which has just closed its nineteenth
animal convention in this city, saw
the Senate remorsely vote down their
proposed suffrage amendment to the
Constitution. But sixteen Senators
voted in favor of the ladies, and that
was q great victory for them. They
have repeatedly seen both houses OF
Congress vote against the considera-
tion of the proposed amendment, but
this was the first time they ever had
n vote on the amendment itself.
A committee of twelve ladies, all
prominent in the suffrage movement,
called at the White House TO present
to the President o written protest
against that portion of the Utah bill
which DISTINGUISHES the gentle women
of Utah. The Mormons are already
disfranchised, male and female. The
President received the ladies gra-
ciously, and spoke few words to
each rs she was introduced to him.
Several of them made short arguments
in favor of the rights of Utah women
to what they had beon allowed to ex-
ercise for fifteen years--the franchise
and urged the President to veto
the bill if it passes as it now reads.
Mr. Cleveland listened attentively,
promised to give the matter careful
attention, and said he had supposed
the women of Utah did not care to
vote and did not vote when they had
q chance. He shook hands with each
lady again at parting, and after they
had been shown through the suite of
parlors, the committee left the house
much pleased with the cordial man.
ner of the Chief Magistrate.
1t looks as if there is really to be
change in the Cabinet soon, and that
two of the best officials in the Treas
ury are to become president and vice
president OF the new National Bank
in New York. ! refer to the Secre-
tary of the Treasury and to the U. S.
Treasurer, Mr.. Jordan. Mr.. Man
ming declines to say anything regard
ing the matter, but it is generally
believed that he will offer his resig-
nation to take effect soon after the
adjournment of Congress. The con-
templated retirement of Treasurer
Jordan at that time is openly ac-
knowledged.
While the President is compelled
to regret parting with these officers,
he is quoted as saying that he did
not like to assume the responsibility
of standing in the way of what he
regarded as their selfinterest. The
salary of MIR. Mornings new Office
will be $20,000-more than twice that
of Cabinet officer, and the position
will not acquire the continual strain
necessary to I'll the Office of Secreta-
ry Of the Treasury. Besides the
President and the Secretary's friends
are constantly fearful that his health
will again succumb to his present on
erous duties.
There is n clear case for a veto in
the drag-net pension bill which has
passed the House and the Senate and
now goes 10 the President. 1t pro-
vides that all persons who served
three months or more in the military
or naval service of the United States
in any war, shall be pens;oled at the
rate Of $12 per month If they are un-
able TO earn a support because Of
physical or mental disability. "Any-
thing 10 spend the surplus" appears
to be the motto Of the Republicans
Of both branches Of Congress. This
measure, which was rushed through
the Senate without a rollcall, virtu-
ally creates an annex TO the Pension
Bureau because it offers gratuities TO
disabled" ex-soldiers, without regard
TO any connection between their ser
vice in the army and their present
disability.
The bill would take unknown nil
lions ont Of the Treasury if il became
a law, for IT also provides at the rate
Of S12 per month for the dependant
Of soldiers who are not able
TO provide for tbefd This would be
The Federal Government
into an institution for dispensing
outdoor relief, and encouraging
shifilessuess among a class tha. might